The Struggles We Face with Coding
Let’s be honest, coding ain’t everyone’s cup of tea. You start out thinking it’s gonna be all fun, but soon you realize it’s anything but. Coding is hard, like really hard. And it’s not just me saying that, almost everyone I know who picked up computer science in college has either dropped out or switched to something else. Why? Because it’s tough to get the hang of it, and for many of us, it just doesn’t seem worth the effort.
It’s funny how most people, myself included, go into coding thinking we’ll be the next Mark Zuckerberg, and soon find ourselves wanting to run away from it. From lack of confidence to feeling stuck, coding just doesn’t seem to click. We’re more drawn towards careers like business management, something that doesn’t seem as mind-numbingly difficult. Let’s dive into why coding is so tough, why we lose interest, and why so many of us decide to switch.
Hard Skills Are Tough to Master
Here’s the thing, coding is a hard skill. Hard skills, by nature, are difficult to master. And with coding, you’re not just memorizing facts or formulas; you’re learning to think differently. It’s like learning a new language, except it’s way more complex and less forgiving. There’s syntax, logic, algorithms, and when you think you’ve got it, there’s debugging. Trust me, debugging alone has made me wanna quit multiple times.
Most students, including me, start realizing early on that coding is not something that can be half-assed. You gotta practice a lot and do projects on your own. Unfortunately, the Indian education system (more on that later) doesn’t do a good job of encouraging this kind of hands-on learning. Without that motivation or practical experience, it’s no wonder we start thinking, “Maybe coding isn’t for me.”
Lack of Confidence
Personally, I never had confidence in myself when it came to coding. Every time I’d try writing a program, I’d either mess it up or not understand what went wrong. And I’m not alone in this. A lot of students give up early on simply because they don’t feel like they’re good enough to code.
You know how people always say, “practice makes perfect?” Well, with coding, it feels like no matter how much you practice, you never actually get to that “perfect” stage. And that’s discouraging. For those of us who lack confidence, it feels easier to just walk away. That’s where careers like business management seem like a safer bet — they don’t require you to learn hard skills like coding, which feels like a relief after trying and failing so many times.
Indian Education System: All Theory, No Practice
Now, let’s talk about the elephant in the room. The Indian education system is extremely theoretical. It’s ironic how we have courses like BCA (Bachelor of Computer Applications) and MCA (Master of Computer Applications), but they hardly focus on the applications part. Everything is theory-based. We memorize code structures and algorithms for exams, but when it comes to actually writing a program or developing a project, we’re lost.
In reality, coding can only be learned through doing. You need to experiment, make mistakes, and learn from them. Unfortunately, our education system doesn’t encourage that. It’s all about passing the exams, and once the exams are over, we hardly remember anything. I’m speaking from experience. That’s why so many students find coding boring and irrelevant—they’ve never actually had a chance to see how cool it can be when you get it right.
Excuses, Excuses: Switching to Management
Here’s the funny part: when students start to struggle with coding, the first excuse they come up with is that they “want to get into management or marketing.” I’m guilty of it too. At some point, I thought, “Maybe coding isn’t for me, maybe I should switch to management.” It seems like an easy escape, doesn’t it?
But here’s the thing: most students don’t even know what management entails. They just see it as a way out of coding. And while management has its own challenges, it doesn’t require the intense technical skills that coding does. This makes it a popular choice for students who want to avoid the difficulty of mastering hard skills.
Coding is a Skill You Need to Master
In today’s world, if you wanna get ahead, you have to master at least one hard skill. Whether it’s coding, finance, or data analytics, hard skills are what give you an edge. While soft skills like management are important, they’re not something you learn like a science. They come with experience and practice in the field, but they don’t require the same rigorous training that hard skills do.
That’s why I think, despite the struggles, coding is something we all should at least try to learn. Yes, it’s tough, but it’s also a valuable skill that opens up a world of opportunities. And with the tech-driven world we live in, coding can take you places you never imagined.
Don’t Give Up Coding Too Soon
At the end of the day, coding is difficult—there’s no denying that. But that doesn’t mean we should give up on it so quickly. If we could shift our focus from passing exams to actually learning by doing, maybe more students would find it interesting. Sure, business management might seem like an easier route, but if you’re looking to really excel, mastering hard skills like coding will give you a leg up.
For those of you who’ve struggled with coding like I have, don’t be too quick to switch. Take your time, do some projects, and see if it gets easier. It may not happen overnight, but with persistence, you might surprise yourself.
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